Separable clasp connector



March 1961 I. F. MATTHYSSE 2,977,567

SEPARABLE CLASP CONNECTOR Original Filed March 51, 1944 ATTO NEY2,977,567 SEPARABLE CLASP connncron V Frederick Matthy sse, New York,N.Y., assignor to v Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New YorkOriginal application Mar. 31, 1944, Ser. No. 528,991. and applicationMar; 4, 1952, Ser: No.

zclan s. or. 339- 253 i This invention relates to improvements in claspconnectors ofith'e separable type,'in, which two separate sectionsxareinterlocked. together and pivotally opened to permit separation ofthetw'o halves. The invention com prises an improvement of the,HegenauerPatent. No. 2,288,192 owned by applicants assignee and is a division ofm'y parent application Ser. No. 528,991 filed March 31, 194,4, entitledSeparable Clasp Connector, now abandoned.

' The principal object of my invention is to. provide automatic locking.means to prevent separation of the two connector halvesby one halfaccidentally pivoting on the other.

Additional objects are to provide a separable connector designed to lockthe two halves of the connector toegther upon the application of alongitudinal pull; to provide a separable connector with a lock whichpermits disconnection of the two halves only after the halves are pushedtogether a predetermined distance; to provide a separable connectorhaving a lock which has the added function of providing additionalelectrical contact when the two halves are pulled longitudinally; toprovide a separable connector having resilient snapping means, lockingthe halves together and requiring a predetermined force to separate'thetwo halves by rotating one half with respect to the other; to provide aconnecting base for attachment of a plurality of separable connectorhalves; to provide a'base with means for accommodating the locking meansof the separable connector halves; to provide a separable terminal forconnecting a separable connector half to a flat surface; and to, providea separable connector, separable connector base, separable connectorterminal and similar connector items which may be made economically bysimple production methods from tubing or sheet metal.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as willbe apparent from the device described in the following specification,particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partially in section of a connector half.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of two pivoting halves.

Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating the interlocking action.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the two halves pulled into final lockingposition.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of locking meansattached to a separable half with terminal lug connection.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of such halves interlocked.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a connecting base for attaching aplurality of connector halves.

Fig. 9 is a modification thereof with the halves attached.

In the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates a tubular connector bodyfor insertion of a conductor 11 therein which is indented as at 12 tolock the conductor tact 16. The end of the tongue terminates in a'lock-' to the connector body. A shroud 13 may be additionally providedfor the insulation 14 of the conductor i nponwhich theshroud iscompressed.

.The tubular body is flattened into an extending tongue 15, providedwith a transversely overhanging spring coning tab 17 normally extendingfrom the edge of the tongue. At the junction of the tongue 15 and body10, a groove 18 is formed to permit passage of the tab "of thecomplementary half of theseparableconnector. The slot 17X 'at the end ofthe tongue 15 provides means for giving the tab of a complementary halfa spring effect as it slides in groove 18.

Along one edge of the tongue 15, adjacent the groove,

a small camv surface 19 is formed which engages the tab; of thecomplementary half as the two connector halves are locked. This takesplace by taking an identical half.

10a, the remaining parts of 10a being similarly "identified, and placingthe tongue 15a across the fiat oftongue- 15 of connector 10, with thetwo spring contacts on opposite sides, and pivoting the two halvestogether i of the groove to a point 20 below the edge, as indicatedscissor-like, until tab 17a passes through groove 18, and tab 17 entersgroove 18a. This is shown in Figf3. When the tabs pass beyond theirengaging grooves, their springy action causes them to snap from thesurface in Fig. 5. This prevents the tab from being accidentally forcedback into the groove. During this movement tongue 15 enters the spacebetween tongue 15a and contact spring 16a, and tongue 15a enters thespace between tongue 15 and spring contact 16, against the springs ofthe contacts.

The locking action is further accomplished by pulling the two halveslongitudinally until the edges of the spring contacts engage, as shownin Fig. 5. During this movement, tab 17a scrapes over cam 19, and tab 17over cam 19a, which insures a good electrical connection. To separatethe two halves the different operations are reversed.

By the foregoing I have accomplished a satisfactory lock of the twoconnector halves which will prevent their accidental separation.

The spring lock action of the tab may be eliminated, together with thecam surface 19, and yet retain ample electrical contact and satisfactorylocking action.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the connector clasp is madeof sheet metal and comprises the pierced terminal lug 25, with upwardlybent section 26, extending tongue 27, spring contact 28 provided with anextension 29 thereof, and a side tab 30. Two such connector halves maybe longitudinally interlocked as shown in Fig. 7, the spring contactextension of one connector half being maintained in longitudinalposition by the side tab of the complementary half. The terminal lugmethod of connection illustrated here may be interlocked with any othertype.

In Fig. 8, l have shown a base member 31 upon which four separableconnector halves may be mounted and individually locked. Adjacent theends of the upper surface of the base member, which may be of sheetmetal, I have provided two transversely overhanging spring contacts 32and 33. These are similar to those shown in Fig. 1. Spring contacts 34and 35 are mounted on the lower surface. The base member has grooves asat 36 and 37 midway betweeneach set of spring contacts to enable thelocking tabs, similar to those shown in Fig. l, to enter the grooves andinterlock the four connector halves 38, 39, 40 and 41 as is shown inFig. 9.

The base member may be stamped from a single plate of metal 31 with alongitudinal slot 42 inbetween two longitudinal sections 43 and 44 ofmetal with tran s- Patented Mar. 28, 196.1

verse end sections 45 and 46 holding the two longitudinal sectionstogether as shown in Fig. 8, or a single strip of metal 47 may be bentto form a U, as indicated in Fig. 9.

In the foregoing modification I have shown a separable connectorcomprising two halves which may be attached to each other by springycontacts which insure good con-.

vention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ allequivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appendedclaims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained, andnew results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particularembodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many thatcan be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A clasp connector for transmitting electric current comprising mainand separable interlocking body sections, means for pivoting theseparable body sections on tions to permit individual engagement with aplurality of separable body sections whereby a plurality of separableconnections may be made with 'said plate section.

2. A clasp connector for transmitting electric current 1 comprising amain and a plurality of separable engaging body sections; means forpivoting the body sections one on the other to engaging position; andnot less than one of said body sections being provided with spring claspcontacts whereby said separable body sections are clasped to said mainbody section to establish a mechanical and electrical connection witheach other; said body section consisting of. a plate section bent toform spaced-apart body sections to permit individual engagement with theplurality of separable body sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HeathMay 8, 1917 Xenis Dec. 23, 1941 Matthysse Apr. 21, 1953

